Sheet feeding apparatus



NOV. 19:42. G. A. MARTIN 2,300,625

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed July 29, 1941 2 Sheets-She et 1 Fwj INVENTOR GEORGE A. MARTIN BY M 41 AGENT Nov. 3, 1942. e. A. MARTIN SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed July 29, -l94l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ig/ii E INVENTOR GEORGE A. MARTIN BY 44m I AGENT Patented Nov. 3, 1942 SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS George A. Martin, Pearl River, N. Y., assignor to Dexter Folder Company,

Pearl River, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application July 29, 1941, Serial No. 404,534 12 Claims. (01. 271-49) This invention relates to sheet feeders and more particularly to mechanism for feeding paper, cardboard, metal or other sheets from a supply thereof and side registering the sheets with respect to a printing press, coating machine, slitting machine or other instrument'ality acting on such sheets.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanism for side registering paper, cardboard, metal or other sheets without interrupting the forward movement of the sheets.

Another object of the present invention is. to provide a conveyor having a diagonally disposed driven roller or rollers and pressure rollers cooperating therewith for moving paper, cardboard, metal or other sheets laterally into engagement with a side guide to register the sheets, said pressure rollers through novel arrangement thereof yielding axially in a direction away from the side guide upon engagement of a sheet therewith, thus avoiding excess crowding of the sheet against the side guide which would result in buckling of the sheet or bending of the side edge thereof at the side guide.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor having a diagonally disposed driven roller or rollers and pressure rollers cooperating therewith for moving paper, cardboard, metal or other with a side guide to register the sheets, said pressure rollers through novel arrangement thereof sheets laterally into engagement,

shown) and advanced by said conveyor toward a printing press, coating machine, slitting machine or other instrumentality associated'therewith. the conveyor being provided, in accordance with the present invention, with improved mechanism for side registering the sheets during movement imparted thereto by the conveyor. Said conveyor and side registering by'a sheet reader (not mechanism arepreferably mounted, constructedand operated as follows.

Bolted otherwise suitably secured to the front-uprights 6 of the sheet feeder frame are side plates 1 which, in turn, have bolted or otherwise suitably secured thereto and extending forwardly thereof side members 8. The side plates 1 and the 'side members I constitute the frame of the conveyor and are connected together by stay shafts 9, In, I}! and I2 bolted'or otherwise suitably yielding axially in a direction away from the sideguide upon engagement of a sheet therewith, thus eliminating slipping or skidding of said pressure rollers on the sheet which would result in marking or scratching of the upper surface thereof.

These and other objects of the present invention will appear as the following description thereof pro'ceeds and in order to more clearly understand said invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment thereof.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a conveyor and side registering mechanism embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical se'ctional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, 5 indicates broadly a conveyor onto which paper, cardboard, metal or other sheets are delivered from a supply of such sheets secured thereto. Journalled in suitable bearings formed i'n'the front uprights 6 and'the side plates 1 is a transverselyextending feed roller l3 around which passes a plurality of tapes H. The front portions of the tapes it pass around a tape roller l5, and said tapes also travel over a. second tape roller ii and suitable tape tightening rollers H. The tape rollers l iand 18 are iourii-alled on the stay shafts l2 and 8, respectively, and endwise displacement of the rollers on their respective shafts is. prevented by collars 18 which are secured to said shafts at opposite ends of said rollers. The tape tightening rollers I! are jour'nalled on I which are adjustably secured to the stay I around said roller are driven from any suitable s ource of power by a chain. connected theregun and passingarounda sprocket 2| which is fixed on the ,..outwardly projecting end of said -.roller. I

Each sheet delivered on the conveyor 5 and ad-, vanced thereby toward the machine associated therewith is moved laterally on said conveyor to side register the sheet with respect to said machine. tion this side registration is effected by imp ve diagonally disposed means and without interrupting the forward travel of the sheets on the conveyor, and said means is preferably mounted, constructed and operated as follows.

Fixed on one end o1 the feed roller 1-3 in-teriorly of the adjacent front upright 6 and rotated by said feed roller is a pulley 22 around which passes sha t a belt 21 driven by said pulley and also passing around and driving a pulley 24. This pulley 24 is fixed on and drives a shaft 25 which extends transversely of the conveyor and is disposed arms The feed roller "II and theta-pes ll passing In accordance" with the present invenelongated slots rollers 31 for rotation thereby.

diagonally of the tapes 'I4 and beneath the upper reaches thereof. Zt'he "shaft 2W is journalled at opposite ends thereof in suitable bearings formed .in brackets 28 which are boltedor otherwise suitably secured to the inner sides of the side .mem- :bers l .and provided-with upwardly extending portions 21 forpurposes hereinafter described. End-' wise displacement orxmovement of the diagonally disposed .shaft25 isprevented in one direction by the pulley 24 and in the opposite direction by a collar 28 which is secured to said shaft on the end thereof opposite that carrying saidpulley. The belt .23 also passes over a belt tightening rollthereof are a plurality :of rollers 3i which act 2 to move each sheet advanced by the tapes I4 intoengagement therewith-laterally to side registry position into engagement with a side guide '32. The side guide 42 extends along the conveyor i at one side thereof and parallel with the tapes Hand is provided with a laterally extending plate 33 for supporting the margins of the sheets during movement of the same along said guide. .The side guide "is secured to and adjustable along the .stay shafts Ill and il.

Cooperating .with the diagonally disposed driven rollers 3| to assist said rollers in moving the sheets laterally to side registry position are 7 a plurality of co-axially spaced pressure-rollers 35 guide .32

indicated broadly at l4 and each preferably comprised by arubber sheet engaging ring 35 engaged over .a metal center or holder =36. The

pressure rollers is are adapted. to yield axially in adirection-away from the side guide 32 upon :engagementpf the sideedgeof-asheetwith said side guide, thereby avoiding excess crowding :of the sheet against the side cause said sheet to buckle or the side edge portion thereof to bend and ride up on the vertical face of said guide. Further, due to the axial yielding action ping or skidding of :said rollers on the registered sheet .is overcome with the result that marking or scratching .of the .upper surface of the sheet is eliminated and that wearing of the rubber 50 rings 85 is reduced 'toa minimum. :The pressureirollers I4 may be-mounted in any suitable manner to accomplish 1 this result but, as .herein shown, said rollers are preferably rotatably mounted on a shaftl'l which extends trans- 55 versely of the conveyor and is disposed diagonally of the tapes l4 above the same and in vertical alignment withthe shaft 25. shaft is preferably guided for axial movement in 38 formed in the extensions 21 of the brackets 26' to permit the pressure rollers 34 to float and rest by gravity on the :driven The pressure rollers 34 areheld in position on the shaft '11 by collars i" which are disposed on opposite sides of said rollers .and secured to saidshaft.

Engaged over the shaft'l'l on the end thereof .-,opposite to the side guide 32 is an expansion spring 4]! one end .of which bears against a bushing 4i that is loosely carried'by said shaft and bears against the inner side of the extension 21 of the adjacent bracket 26.. The oppo- I .site end ofthe spring 0 bears-against. a collar 42 which is adiustably secured to the shaft 31.

The spring 40 normally tends to move the shaft .75

10 tension of the spring 40 may be guide which would of the pressure rollers 34, slip-,

tension '21 of the adjacent bracket 26. The stop collar is so adjusted that the pressure rollers 34 are normally disposed in the full line positions thereof shown-in Figs. '1 and 3. The regulated by loosening the collar 42 and moving it toward or away from the bushing 4|, thereby regulating the axial yielding action of the pressure rollers .34 tonsuit various grades and kinds of sheet material.

merit of the side edge of the sheet with the side guide32, and under further thrust of said .sheet against said guide by continued rotation of the rollers 3| and 34. the pressure rollers 34 are caused to move sidewise or yield axially in a direction away from the side guide 32 and against the tension-of the spring as shown in dotted lines in Fig; 3. Under these conditions excess crowding of the sheet against the side is avoided, marking or scratching of the upper surface of the sheet by the pressure rollers 34 is eliminated, and wearing of the rub- ,ber rings 25 is reduced to a minimum. En agement of the side edge of the sheet with the 4 sheet guide 32 will 'be maintained by the rollers 7 3| and 34 during the remaining portion-of the forward travel of the sheet, thus straightening and properly positioning the sheet for delivery from the conveyor to the machine associated therewith. Upon forward movement of the straightened and. registered sheet out of engagement with the rollers 3| and 34, the latter rollers are returned by the expanding action of the spring 40 to their original full line positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3 determined by the stop collar-43in readiness to act on the next sheet.

While the present invention has been described in connection with a sheet feeder, it will bereadily appare 't that it is equally adaptable to any situation where it .isdesired to straighten and sideregister sheets of material while they are being conveyed toward a machine or instrumentality for further action thereon.

It is, therefore to be expressly understood that the present invention. is not limited to the em- What I claim is:

1. In a side registering mechanism having a side guide: driven means arranged diagonally of said side guide for moving a sheet laterally into engagement therewith; rotatable pressure means arranged above and cooperating with said driven means; and means mounting said pressure means for yielding movement bodily in an axial direction away from the side guide upon engagement of the sheet with the side guide.

2. Ina side .registering mechanism having a side guide: driven rotatable means arranged diagonally of said side guide for moving a sheet laterally into engagement therewith; diagonally arranged rotatable pressure means disposed above and cooperating with said driven means; and means mounting said pressure means for axial yielding movement bodily in a direction away from the side guide upon engagement of the sheet with the side guide.

3. In a side registering mechanism having a side guide: driven rotatable means arranged diagonally of said side guide for moving a sheet laterally into engagement therewith; a plurality of transversely spaced diagonally arranged pressure rollers disposed above'and cooperating with said driven rotatable means; and means mount- 1 sure rollers disposed above and cooperating with said driven rotatable means; and means mounting said pressure rollers for axial yielding movement bodily and as a unit in a direction away from the side guide upon engagement of the sheet with the side guide.

5. In a side registering mechanism having a side guide: driven rotatable means arranged diagonally of said side guide for moving a sheet laterally into engagement therewith; a plurality of transversely spaced diagonally arranged pressure rollers disposed above and cooperating with said driven rotatable means; and means mounting said pressure rollers for independent rotation and for axial yielding movement bodily in a direction away from the side guide upon engagement of the sheet with the side guide.

6. In a side registering mechanism having a side guide: driven rotatable means arranged diagonally of said side guide for moving a sheet laterally into engagement therewith; a plurality of transversely spaced diagonally arranged pressure rollers disposed above and cooperating with said driven rotatable means; and means mounting said pressure rollers for independent rotation and for axial yielding movement bodily and as a unit in a direction away from the side guide upon engagement of the sheet with the side guide.

7. In a side registering mechanism having a side guide: a driven roller arranged diagonally of said side guide for moving a sheet laterally into engagement therewith; a diagonally arranged pressure rollerdisposed above and cooperating with said driven roller; and means mounting one of said rollers for axial yielding movement bodily in a direction away from the side guide upon engagement of the sheet with the side guide.

8. In a side registering mechanism having a side guide: a plurality of co-axially spaced driven rollers arranged diagonally of said side guide for moving a sheet laterally into engagement therewith; a plurality of co-axially spaced diagonally arranged pressure rollers disposed above and cooperating with said driven rollers; and means mounting said pressure rollers for axial yielding movement bodily in a direction away from the side guide upon engagement of the sheet with the side guide.

9. In a side registering mechanism having a side guide: a plurality of co-axially spaced driven rollers arranged diagonallyof said side guide for moving a sheet laterally into engagement therewith; a plurality of co-axially spaced diagonally arranged pressure roll'ers disposed above and cooperating with said driven rollers; and means mounting said pressure rollers for axial yielding movement bodily and as a unit in a direction away from the side guide upon engagement of the sheet with the side guide.

10. In a side registering mechanism having a side guide: a plurality of co-axially spaced driven rollers arranged diagonally of said side guide for moving a sheet laterally into engagement therewith; a plurality of coaxially spaced diagonally arranged pressure rollers disposed above and cooperating with said driven rollers; and means mounting said pressure rollers for independent rotation and for axial yielding movement bodily and as a unit in a direction away from the side guide upon engagement of the sheet with the side guide.

11. The combination with a conveyor foradof driven rollers disposed diagonally.across the conveyor in spaced relation and each located between a pair of said tapes with the upper portion thereof disposed substantially in the plane of the sheet supporting surfaces of the tapes, and a plurality of diagonally disposed axially yieldable pressure rollers cooperating with said driven rollers to move the advancing sheet sidewise into engagement with the registering device and thereafter yield axially in a direction away from said registering device.

12. The combination with a conveyor for advancing sheets and comprising a series of laterally spaced driven tapes, and a registering device arranged adjacent one side of said conveyor and extending longitudinally of the same: of means for moving a sheet laterally against the registering device while the sheet is being advanced by the conveyor, said means comprising a plurality of rollers disposed diagonally across the conveyor in spaced relation and each located between a pair of said tapes with the, upper portion thereof disposed substantially in the plane of the sheet supporting surfaces of the tapes, a driven shaft held against axial movement on which said roll-- ers are mounted for rotation thereby, a plurality of diagonally disposed pressure rollers arranged above the conveyor and cooperating with said first named rollers to move the advancing sheet sidewise into engagement with the registering device, a shaft guided for axial movement on which said pressure rollers are rotatably mounted in spaced relation, and a spring normally urging said last named shaft and pressure rollers thereon toward the registering device and permitting movement thereof axially away from said registering device upon engagement of the sheet with the latter.

GEORGE A. MARTIN. 

